Cut back on water during winter. You can let it dry out a bit between waterings. Give it bright light if you can. You can cut it back but I wouldn't cut it to the ground, maybe six inches or longer.

My 3 pots all wintered through in a dimly lit basement and then the one in a coir lined basket in a west facing window in the laundry room. They looked like sick plants by the time I moved them outdoors in May. Here is a picture of how the one in the laundry room responded after moving it outdoors. This was taken July 8th. It is also in full sun from mid morning to late afternoon since May. I try to water it everyday when we have temps in the 90's. Those are small caladiums next to it which have doubled in size since this picture was taken. The begonia has not grown much more but the blooms are all over the plant now. The other ones I finally planted in the ground. I may take some cuttings of the pink one since they propagate so easily.

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Thanks for the info! I did post a followup like the same day you responded and it disapeared for some reason!! I am sure it was my fault, being new here, i am just learing ;)
When you take the cuttings, do you do this in fall or early spring? and how do you root them, in soil or inwater like some house plants are done?

Hey Jude,

I would take cuttings anytime the plant is strong and robust. So fall should be an excellent time as well as summer. You can stick them in soil or water. Most people like to stick them in soil. Just make sure the soil is not heavy so that it drains well. I like to add lots of perlite to my mix. Keep the cuttings in bright light (not full sun) until they root.

The only problem is they really go downhill (thin and leggy) in winter but do not despair, just keep them alive (water sparingly) until warm weather returns again and move them outdoors and give them room to grow.

Butch

Thanks for the tips! I think i will try rooting some!

Hooray!!! I am go thankful for this site. I can always count on answers to my questions here :)

I bought a tiny Dragon Wing Begonia this past Spring for $1.60 at my local Walmart and wondered how well it would do? Well, let me tell you, it is huge and beautiful wilth full red blossoms all summer!

I wanted to save it over the winter and that means bringing it indoors here in the North!

Thanks for all of your tips on wintering and taking cuttings to get more plants.

Nan

my neighbor wintered over her angelwing and it grew down......... long flowing flowering a good 6 feet down. it was wonderful!!!!!!

A friend gave me one last fall I kept all winter and summer, it's huge. They are messy they bloom all the time I'm not going to bring it in. It's breaking my heart. I have no where to keep it. I did save some starts.

I have kept mine inside since September and it's doing great. I've been feeding it fish emulsion, and it is growing like crazy. Lot of new growth. One branch has become very long and I think I'm going to cut it and root it in the same pot, to fill things in a bit more. I grew this one from some cuttings I took last summer, off of a neighbor's begonia.

I am glad to get all this info. I got my first Dragon's Wing
Begonias last year. They did so fantastic I had cuttings going all over. I didn't think to bring any in last Winter.
I got several more tbhis Spring. They are doing wonderful. I found out they have a pink flowering form as well. I got a Pink one at a local nursery last week. I was hoping to bring in indoors this Winter, as it's the only one I've seen anywhere. I will have them in my garden from now on.
They are just fantastic plants.
I am wondering about leaf color. The pink one has a lighter green leaf. The red ones are dark green. Is it normal for the pink to have lighter leaves?

Help!!
I have a beautiful Dragon Wing that I have started successful plants from stems that have accidentally broken off, but never from intentional clippings. Where is the best spot on the stem to take a clipping from?
Also, over the years the plant is getting woody leggings. I cut them off but the plant has never grown back in. Is there a specific way and time to prune it?

What was the answer to the last question? Where is the best place to cut a clipping from?

Jmvk, do a search using 'dragon wing' and you'll find several threads discussing the success and setbacks of cuttings. The tip cuttings will root, but there probably will be issues of whether the new plant will branch out for you. Better to cut the whole plant back and make new plants from the base.

I have successfully wintered pots of large Begonias just by placing them under the house where the temp is fairly cool, but not cold and just leaving a regular 60 watt bulb on. I didn't cut them back at all and I only watered them once or twice the entire winter so they mostly remained dry. They will loose their leaves and go into a dormancy of sorts. In late spring after all danger of frost, I just pulled them out and watered and allowed them to collect a little morning sun to adjust. When growth started, I clipped them back and they just take off growing! Hope this helps.

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-Frank

I grow my dragon wing begonias in very large buckets, and save them at the end of the season inside a cottage that is heated at 48 degrees throughout the winter in Michigan.
I presently have 34 plants that grow to the size shown in the photo. If parts are broken off during the summer, I just stick them in the ground and by fall, I have another plant.
Before they are brought in, I spray them to eliminate bugs. I cut the roots and the foliage back to about 8 inches each, put them in large containers that are used to do an oil change on a car, and water them sparingly about twice a month during the winter. When I put them out in the spring, they are still quite small, but they grow very fast!